Chef Carissa Tkachyk

Private Chef In Calgary

I am a red seal chef with over 25 years experience in the industry. I am currently a professional cooking instructor. I have worked in hotels, convention centres, fine dining and bistros. I was Alberta Apprentice of the year. Alberta and National Champion in The Chaine des Rotisseurs Jeune Commis competition Canada and fourth place in the International Competition. My strength is creating customized menus to suit individual tastes. I would describe my cooking as classically French trained, with ethnic influences, using seasonal and local ingredients as much as possible.

For me, cooking is...

My passion, my lifestyle and my joy

I learned to cook at...

Southern institute of technology in Calgary

A cooking secret...

Cook with passion, using seasonal, fresh ingredients.

My menus

Latin Inspiration

STARTER

All inclusive

Scallop ceviche, mango and avocado tower with crisp tortilla strips

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Ancho chili spiced butternut squash soup with lime crema and toasted pumpkin seeds

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Coffee spice rubbed beef tenderloin medallion, yam purée, charred green beans

DESSERT

All inclusive

Bittersweet chocolate cake (GF) chili spiced chocolate ganache, passion fruit puree

Rustic surprise

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Raw tuna with sesame miso vinaigrette/ wonton chips

Traditional beef tartare with hand cut potato chips

Pan seared prawns with ouzo cream , crispy leeks

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Brandied shrimp bisque with brioche croutons/ Creme fraiche

Tomato-gin soup with ciabatta croutons/ herb oil

Grilled romaine heart Caesar salad with crispy pancetta/ ciabatta croutons and shaved parmesan

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Coffee spice rubbed beef tenderloin medallion with fresh tomato salsa, yam purée, roast broccolini

Pan seared beef tenderloin medallion with classic bearnaise sauce ( or peppercorn Demi glaze) , lobster mashed potato, double smoked bacon wrapped green beans

Hazelnut crusted rack of lamb , Chianti jus, spinach risotto

Chicken breast supreme stuffed with wild mushrooms, tarragon veloute, potato pave, asparagus

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate pot du creme with fresh berries and shortbread crumble

Creme brulee trio, chocolate, vanilla bean and kahlua mini creme brulee with berries

Warm Pecan tart with creme anglaise

Fusion adventure

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Ahi tuna tartare/sesame-miso vinaigrette/won ton chips

Pan seared jumbo scallops/thai green curry and basil coconut cream sauce

Fresh shucked oysters/horesradish gelee

Crab cake/mango-chili coulis/cilantro micro greens

Beef tenderloin carpaccio/sesame ponzu vinaigrette/radish/watercress

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Carrot-ginger bisque/black sesame/crispy rice paper chips

Curried butternut squash bisque with crispy pork belly

Good leaf farms sweet and spicy lettuce blend/cucumber/radish and snow peas/creamy Thai basil vinaigrette

Cold sesame noodle and vegetable salad (contains peanuts)

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Sichuan spice crusted rack of lamb/ star anise scented Demi glaze/ celery root/ Chinese Broccoli

Pan seared salmon/brown butter and tarragon vinaigrette/calrose rice/shanghai bok choy

Charred beef tenderloin medallion/Asian chimmichurri/yam puree/shanghai baby bok choy

Roast chicken breast supreme/spiced jus/chive puree/haricots verde and onion compote

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

“Tea tasting” mini creme brûlée trio: Earl grey, Chai and matcha mini creme brûlée with fruit garnishes

Coconut panna cotta/ lime chantilly cream/ fresh passion fruit

Chocolate and Vietnamese coffee tart with condensed milk ice cream

Caramelized Banana cake with crunchy praline and caramel ice cream

Exclusively french

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Fresh shucked oysters, champagne mignonette

Potato blini, creme fraiche/caviar

Ahi tuna tartare/caperberries/lemon vinaigrette/crostini

Duck confit potato croquette/grainy dijon aioli/microgreens

Crab filled crepe/citrus beurre balnc

Pan seared jumbo scallops/minted pea puree/pea shoots

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Brandied lobster bisque,creme fraiche,brioche crostini

Truffled wild mushroom bisque/porcini foam/truffle cheddar crisps

Locally grown greenhouse lettuces and herbs/roasted gold beets/citrus segments/chevre/candied walnuts/walnut vinaigrette

Lyalta farms frisee/bacon lardons/heirloom tomato-dijon-champagne vinaigrette/fried quails egg

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Beef tenderloin medallion/roast lobster tail/bearnaise sauce/chateau potato/asparagus

Double smoked bacon wrapped Roast beef tenderloin/brandied wild mushroom demi glaze/poato-celeriac pave

Pan roasted halibut fillet/ brown butter hollandaise/ potato galette/ prosciutto wrapped asparagus

Pepper crusted Alberta Lamb Rack/Blueberry-balsamic demi glaze/fondant potato/salt baked baby carrots

Pan seared pheasnt breast/caramelized lentils duy puy with root vegetables/crispy pheasant leg confit/Beurre rouge

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Cafe au lait panna cotta/dark choclate shortbread/grand marnier berries

Dark chocolate ganache tart/salted caramel chantilly/cherry compote/gold flakes

Individual lemon curd tart/brulee meringue/blueberry and raspberry coulis/berries

Mini creme brulee trio;Dark chocolate/earl grey tea and vanilla bean mini creme brulees with fruit garnish

French pistachio cake/spiced poached pears/creme anglaise

French Indulgence

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Truffle scented beef tartar with duck fat fried potato chips

Pan seared jumbo scallops/minted pea puree/pea shoots

Duck confit potato croquette/grainy mustard aioli/microgreens

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Brandied shrimp bisque with brioche croutons/ Creme fraiche

Wild mushroom bisque/porcini foam/herb oil

Lyalta farms lettuces, gold beet, apple/candied pecans/Apple cider vinaigrette

Local greenhouse grown lettuces,poached pear,gorgonzola/candied walnuts/walnut vinaigrette

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Pan seared beef tenderloin maedallion/wild mushroom ragout/truffle boursin potato puree/crispy onions

Cornish hen: Pan roasted breast/confir leg/tarragon veloyute/fingerling potato/french beans

Deconstructed halibut vichysoisse/halibut/melted leeks, potato/microgreens

Herb crusted Rack of Alberta Lamb/marsala jus/celery root puree/fondant butternut squash

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Lemon curd tart/brulee meringue/berry coulis

Mini creme brulee trio: Vanilla bean/chocolate and amaretto mini creme bruelles with fruit garnish

Dark chocolate pate/grand marnier berries/chantilly creqam

Basically French

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Beet cured salmon gravlax/creamy cucumber-herbsalad

Brandied chicken liver mousse,sour cherry compote,crostini

Classic beef tartare with hand cut potato chips

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Lyalta farms frisse, bacon lardon,tomato,dijon vinaigretee,croutons

Asparagus Veloute with brie croutons

Butternut squash and apple bisque with toasted pumpkin seeds, creme fraiche

Locally grown greenhouse baby lettuces wrapped in a cucumber ribbon/champagne vinaigrette

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Pan seared salmon, french lentil and root cegetable ragout/red wine hollandaisse

Confit de Canard: Tender duck leg confit,white bean and tomato cassoulet/bacon

Mushroom and leek stuffed chicken breast supreme/herb veloute/potato gratin/heirloom carrotsPan seared beef striploin/, peppercorn demi glaze/chateu potato/asparagus

Herb crusted rack of lamb/marsala jus/potato puree/asparagus

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Dark Chocolate pot du creme/salted caramel chantilly cream,grand marnier berries

Seasonal fruit galette/handmade vanilla bean ice cream

Kahlua creme brulee with fresh berries

Inspired by Italy

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Prosciutto wrapped melon with burrata cheese, white balsamic glaze and mint

Tomato bruschetta with crostini

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Traditional caesar salad

Fire roasted tomato bisque/ciabatta croutons/basil oil

Butternut squash risotto/ brown butter sage

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Beef bracciola with pappardelle/broccolini

Chicken marsala with mushrooms/creamy herb and parmesan risotto

Tomato briased lamb shank/creamy polenta/vegetable ragout

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Classic tiramisu with berries

Chocolate espresso panna cotta , grand marnier berries

Dark Chocolate caramel tart with crème anglaise and raspberries

Winter Italian

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Ahi tuna crude with lemon , caper and herb vinaigrette

Proscuitto wrapped melon with burrata cheese and white balsamic glaze

Bruschetta/ toasted ciabatta/ ricotta cheese/ heirloom tomatoes/ basil/ balsamic reduction

Pepper crusted Beef carpaccio with truffle oil

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Wild mushroom soup with porcini foam/ truffle oil

Mussels steamed with fire roasted tomatoes, white wine and herbs/ crostini

Sautéed jumbo prawns in a sambuca cream sauce/ homemade focaccia

Baby arugula/fennel/ artichoke hearts/ purple onion and shaved Asiago/ red wine vinaigrette

Kale Caesar salad/ ciabatta croutons/ crispy pancetta

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Italian sausage stuffed chicken breast, fire roasted tomato sauce, creamy Parmesan polenta and broccoli rabe

Black olive and herb crusted rack of lamb/ Chianti jus/ herb risotto/ roasted broccolini

Roast pork tenderloin stuffed with proscuitto/ sage and mozzarella/ marsala jus/ olive oil potato purée/roasted heirloom carrots

Veal Parmesan/ handmade fettuccine with pesto/ braised greens

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Classic tiramisu

Espresso chocolate pot du creme with whipped cream

Amaretto creme brûlée with fresh berries

Latin Inspiration

STARTER

All inclusive

Scallop ceviche, mango and avocado tower with crisp tortilla strips

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Ancho chili spiced butternut squash soup with lime crema and toasted pumpkin seeds

MAIN COURSE

All inclusive

Coffee spice rubbed beef tenderloin medallion, yam purée, charred green beans

DESSERT

All inclusive

Bittersweet chocolate cake (GF) chili spiced chocolate ganache, passion fruit puree

Rustic surprise

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Raw tuna with sesame miso vinaigrette/ wonton chips

Traditional beef tartare with hand cut potato chips

Pan seared prawns with ouzo cream , crispy leeks

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Brandied shrimp bisque with brioche croutons/ Creme fraiche

Tomato-gin soup with ciabatta croutons/ herb oil

Grilled romaine heart Caesar salad with crispy pancetta/ ciabatta croutons and shaved parmesan

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Coffee spice rubbed beef tenderloin medallion with fresh tomato salsa, yam purée, roast broccolini

Pan seared beef tenderloin medallion with classic bearnaise sauce ( or peppercorn Demi glaze) , lobster mashed potato, double smoked bacon wrapped green beans

Hazelnut crusted rack of lamb , Chianti jus, spinach risotto

Chicken breast supreme stuffed with wild mushrooms, tarragon veloute, potato pave, asparagus

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate pot du creme with fresh berries and shortbread crumble

Creme brulee trio, chocolate, vanilla bean and kahlua mini creme brulee with berries

Warm Pecan tart with creme anglaise

Fusion adventure

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Ahi tuna tartare/sesame-miso vinaigrette/won ton chips

Pan seared jumbo scallops/thai green curry and basil coconut cream sauce

Fresh shucked oysters/horesradish gelee

Crab cake/mango-chili coulis/cilantro micro greens

Beef tenderloin carpaccio/sesame ponzu vinaigrette/radish/watercress

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Carrot-ginger bisque/black sesame/crispy rice paper chips

Curried butternut squash bisque with crispy pork belly

Good leaf farms sweet and spicy lettuce blend/cucumber/radish and snow peas/creamy Thai basil vinaigrette

Cold sesame noodle and vegetable salad (contains peanuts)

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Sichuan spice crusted rack of lamb/ star anise scented Demi glaze/ celery root/ Chinese Broccoli

Pan seared salmon/brown butter and tarragon vinaigrette/calrose rice/shanghai bok choy

Charred beef tenderloin medallion/Asian chimmichurri/yam puree/shanghai baby bok choy

Roast chicken breast supreme/spiced jus/chive puree/haricots verde and onion compote

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

“Tea tasting” mini creme brûlée trio: Earl grey, Chai and matcha mini creme brûlée with fruit garnishes

Coconut panna cotta/ lime chantilly cream/ fresh passion fruit

Chocolate and Vietnamese coffee tart with condensed milk ice cream

Caramelized Banana cake with crunchy praline and caramel ice cream

Exclusively french

STARTER

Choose 2 dishes

Fresh shucked oysters, champagne mignonette

Potato blini, creme fraiche/caviar

Ahi tuna tartare/caperberries/lemon vinaigrette/crostini

Duck confit potato croquette/grainy dijon aioli/microgreens

Crab filled crepe/citrus beurre balnc

Pan seared jumbo scallops/minted pea puree/pea shoots

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Brandied lobster bisque,creme fraiche,brioche crostini

Truffled wild mushroom bisque/porcini foam/truffle cheddar crisps

Locally grown greenhouse lettuces and herbs/roasted gold beets/citrus segments/chevre/candied walnuts/walnut vinaigrette

Lyalta farms frisee/bacon lardons/heirloom tomato-dijon-champagne vinaigrette/fried quails egg

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Beef tenderloin medallion/roast lobster tail/bearnaise sauce/chateau potato/asparagus

Double smoked bacon wrapped Roast beef tenderloin/brandied wild mushroom demi glaze/poato-celeriac pave

Pan roasted halibut fillet/ brown butter hollandaise/ potato galette/ prosciutto wrapped asparagus

Pepper crusted Alberta Lamb Rack/Blueberry-balsamic demi glaze/fondant potato/salt baked baby carrots

Pan seared pheasnt breast/caramelized lentils duy puy with root vegetables/crispy pheasant leg confit/Beurre rouge

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Cafe au lait panna cotta/dark choclate shortbread/grand marnier berries

Dark chocolate ganache tart/salted caramel chantilly/cherry compote/gold flakes

Individual lemon curd tart/brulee meringue/blueberry and raspberry coulis/berries

Mini creme brulee trio;Dark chocolate/earl grey tea and vanilla bean mini creme brulees with fruit garnish

French pistachio cake/spiced poached pears/creme anglaise

Show me more

Chef Carissa's reviews

4.77

•

110 services

First time we have tried a private Chef experience. Very well done! Chef Carrie was awesome, the food was great and overall we will recommend. Note for improvement! This was gift certificate from my previous employer and had an expiry date. So I had to book the event well in advance to ensure the certificate did not expire. There should be no expiry for gift cards/ certificates issued in Canada as it is illegal to put expiry dates on them. Thanks

What an incredible experience! Food was to die for, and she was professional, kind, and incredibly hard working. Would highly recommend!!!

Chef Carissa was amazing. The food was delicious and it look also very nice. We will defenetly hire her again for another great dinner experience. Thanks for everything Chef Carissa.

Very beautiful and memorable experience. Food was amazing! I would definitly recommend Chef Carissa!

She was fantastic! Her food was delicious and she was very professional

Carissa was amazing. The food was amazing. The overall experience was better than expected. I would love to do it again and again and again......

Great experience, will definitely book again!

Carissa was exceptional in every way, would highly recommend her. The night start with a couple kids that didn’t want to fall asleep right away, and Carissa was so accommodating with the timing so that we were all able to enjoy dinner.

Chef Carissa was outstanding. Menu fit exactly what we asked for, food was great, very nicely presented. Can’t wait to eat their food again!

Chef Carissa was great! Very experienced! The food was amazing! My family thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

Chef Carissa created an inventive menu that proved to be even more delicious than its description. Carissa was able to accommodate several dietary restriction, while maintaining a wonderfully cohesive theme. The food was fantastic, the presentation was beautiful, and the service was impeccable. Our party was a group of well travelled foodies, all of whom were very impressed with Chef Carissa's culinary instincts and execution. Every course was well beyond expectation, creating a most memorable meal. The food was described well, without our party ever feeling that we were being interrupted or intruded upon. And the kitchen was spotless when Chef and her colleague left. I highly recommend Chef Carissa for any group looking for great food and service.

Chef Carissa was wonderful. She was much on time, on the ball and did beautiful presentations. The food was very good and you could tell she is an expert at gourmet dishes. I revised the menu slightly and she was very easy going to alter and tailor my requests. I would highly recommend her and I would hire her again in the future! You won't be disappointed with this Chef.

Chef Carissa was super nice and professional. The food was unbelievable.

Carissa knows what shes doing in the kitchen! I had a party of 12 and asked her for a ten plate tasting menu and she did amazing. Each dish was unique and delicious. My group really enjoyed the experience and would definitely recommend her to anyone wanting to try a chef at home! Thanks Carissa!

Carissa was amazing. She was conversational but didn’t overdo it. Smiled a lot. Could sense her passion for being a chef.

This was an incredible evening that I couldn't recommend enough to anyone thinking about trying. The entire experience was smooth and easy to navigate, I gave some basics as to what I was looking for and Chef Carissa did the rest. She had multiple options and provided feedback along the way. The night of was great we could sit back and relax as she prepped and got things ready and then once dinner was prepared everything was wonderful. The food and attention to detail with the presentation was amazing. If your looking for a fine dinning option as home this is it, from wiping the plates down before serving to make sure there wasn't any stray spots of sauce to even offering up wine pairing suggestions if that's your thing. She was easy to talk to and I can not recommend her enough. You won't be disappointed.

Chef Tkachyk was superb in every respect. Highly recommend.

We had a very positive experience with Chef Carissa. Our family had some food restrictions which I thought may make the chefs job harder. With the menu selection we got to choose from that wasn't the case. We communicated mainly by email from the website and answered any questions we had. She was on time and even while preping the food was chatty which was nice, we had lots of questions about what she was preparing and how. The meal was delicious and the portion sizes were spot on. All I had to do was set the table and have the dishes set out for her. Once the meal was done I was suprised that the kitchen was clean, in our house we have a rule who cooks doesn't clean but was very suprised it was cleaned up, we really appreciated that. Chef was very nice and chatty presented the meals so we knew what was served and we liked that she even mentioned the farmers markets that she got some ingredients from. Overall a very pleasant experience and would highly recommend Chef Carissa to everyone.

We had a romantic dinner for two for our first anniversary. Carissa Tkachyk was our Chef. We asked her for a French menu and she provided us with a number of excellent options for each course. We chose the scallops with minted pea puree to start, next a salad of greens and for the main the beef tenderloin with roasted lobster, asparagus and chateaux potatoes. The dessert was chocolate pot au creme with berries. She provided an amuse bouche of watermelon with prosciutto and basil and a lemoncello sorbet as a palate cleanser. Carissa did an amazing job in all respects. Starting with a fantastic menu, high quality ingredients, beautiful presentation and of course she is a marvelous chef. Her food was absolutely delicious. She arrived promptly and everything went seamlessly after that. We would highly recommend her. Heather and Glenn

Carissa was a delight to work with, very professional and the meal was outstanding. All our guests had a wonderful evening I will definitely recommend her services Thank you

What an incredible experience! Food was to die for, and she was professional, kind, and incredibly hard working. Would highly recommend!!!

Chef Carissa was amazing. The food was delicious and it look also very nice. We will defenetly hire her again for another great dinner experience. Thanks for everything Chef Carissa.

Very beautiful and memorable experience. Food was amazing! I would definitly recommend Chef Carissa!

She was fantastic! Her food was delicious and she was very professional

Carissa was amazing. The food was amazing. The overall experience was better than expected. I would love to do it again and again and again......